This invention relates to can crushers in general and in particular to can crushers which are activated by the placing of a can within the can crusher and which eject the crushed can at the end of the cycle.
Many commercial and household can crushers are known in the prior art. Each of these can crushers has been developed as a result of the recent emphasis on energy and resource conservation which has brought about a need for devices which can compact various containers and objects to minimize the problems of storage and disposal. The number and size of the various containers which accumulate, either commercially or in a household, necessitates that the compacted storage approach be utilized. The various devices and methods utilized to compact these containers have, on the whole, been bulky, cumbersome objects which require large amounts of space and energy to utilize.
Recently, manufacturers of such devices have been recognizing the need for a simple, easily operated, residential compactor which could be utilized to compact the ubiquitous aluminum can. These prior art devices typically include a closed crushing chamber which must be opened to inspect or remove the crushed object, or a bottomless crushing chamber which permits the crushed object to fall out due to the force of gravity.
Each of these approaches has certain problems inherent therein. The closed crushing chamber must be opened each cycle to permit the removal of a crushed can and the introduction of a second can. This is both time consuming and dangerous if the consumer fails to close the chamber properly. The gravity chute methods work well except in those instances in which the crushed can has not been sufficiently crushed to fit through the chute or in which the chute becomes obstructed in some manner.